Boston’s historic Back Bay neighborhood is known for its red-brick townhouses and elegant streetscapes, but nestled behind wrought-iron gates on Commonwealth Avenue stands a striking departure from tradition: the Commonwealth Sisters, a pair of stately limestone mansions.

One of these, owned by venture capital investor Kevin Starr, has hit the market for a whopping $29.9 million, marking Boston’s priciest home at the moment, the Wall Street Journal reported.

Constructed in the late 1800s, this architectural gem has undergone a transformation under Starr’s ownership, reflecting his bold personality and unique aesthetic preferences.

His asking price is more than double what he paid for the property just nine years ago.

Starr, co-founder of Third Rock Ventures — a biotech-focused fund — purchased the mansion in 2015 for $11.6 million and embarked on a multimillion-dollar renovation project with designer Eric Roseff.

The result is a 10,600-square-foot residence spanning five floors, boasting six bedrooms, five fireplaces, an elevator and a rooftop deck.

While the exterior exudes classic elegance, a glimpse through the front window reveals a surprising contrast: a neon sign declaring “Love is the Answer,” hinting at the vibrant and eclectic interior within.

The interior design is a testament to Starr’s penchant for bold colors, lush textures and a recurring motif of skulls, which hold personal significance for him as symbols of the circle of life. From the vivid cobalt and orange carpeting to the skull-shaped mosaic in the primary bathroom, every detail speaks to Starr’s distinctive taste.

“His vibe from the beginning was the feel of a boutique hotel,” Roseff told The Journal. “He likes a little bit of Miami thrown in, a little bit of Vegas thrown in.”

Visitors entering the foyer are greeted by checked quartz floors and dramatic black lacquered wood paneling, setting the tone for the rest of the house. The living room, adorned in shades of blue and illuminated by arched windows, exudes a retro-chic ambiance reminiscent of a 1970s lounge.

“We wanted it to have a real loungy vibe — like a 1970s coke-den vibe,” Roseff added, who described the room as having a “perpetual mood” to it. “It’s intoxicating, it’s inviting, it’s sexy.”

The primary suite, occupying an entire floor, offers luxury amenities including a ceiling-filling soaking tub, a shower with music and lighting systems, and a view into Starr’s extensive sneaker collection.

Throughout the house, original details blend seamlessly with modern upgrades, preserving its historic charm while catering to contemporary tastes.

Despite its opulent features, the mansion also offers practical amenities, such as a 2,200-bottle wine room and six parking spaces — a rare find in the bustling Back Bay neighborhood, where parking spots can command prices upwards of half a million dollars.

While Starr and his family now primarily reside in the suburbs, the mansion continues to serve as a pied-à-terre, reflecting its owner’s enduring connection to the vibrant city of Boston.

William Montero of Gibson Sotheby’s International Realty holds the listing.

Dreams of a leisurely waltz to the NBA Finals?

More like Game 2 deja vu.

The Celtics had their streak of four consecutive blowout wins in the playoffs snapped Thursday with a 118-94 loss to the Cavaliers at TD Garden in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.

The humbling defeat evened the series, which has begun to follow a familiar script for the top-seeded Celtics who routed the Heat in their first-round opener around a decisive Game 2 loss.

The Cavs weren’t historically productive from 3-point range like Miami was in its win, but they did make 46.4% of theirs to Boston’s 22.9%.

“In both of the games we lost here at home, we shot the ball incredibly bad,” Celtics forward Jaylen Brown said. “They shot the ball really well, and we didn’t play defense to our level tonight.”

Brown called the Celtics’ defensive performance “unacceptable.” Cleveland hadn’t scored more than 106 points in any of its first eight playoff games and managed just 95 in Game 1.

Spearheading Thursday’s effort was All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell, who scored 23 of his 29 points in the second half to go along with eight assists and seven rebounds. The Cavs also got a big night from Evan Mobley, who had 21 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and two blocks despite spending much of the second half in foul trouble. Six Cavaliers players scored in double figures, including Caris LeVert’s 21 points off the bench.

Jayson Tatum paced the Celtics with 25 points, seven boards and six assists.

Game 1 standouts Jaylen Brown (19 points) and Derrick White (10) struggled mightily from deep, going a combined 1-for-14 on 3s.

Celtics’ Joe Mazzulla to departing assistant: Prepare to be hated as head coach

The Cavs also out-rebounded the Celtics 44-31 and outscored them by 16 points in the paint despite missing injured starting center Jarrett Allen (bruised ribs). Boston also was down a key big man in Kristaps Porzingis (calf strain), and for the first time since his injury, it missed him.

“They did a good job, especially on pick-and-roll,” Celtics head coach Joe Mazulla said. “They tested our pick-and-roll defense. We have to do better at that. But a lot of that stuff in the paint came in transition because of our poor offensive spacing and our rim decisions at times.”

The Celtics, who won their first two games without Porzingis by 34 and 25 points, opened this one with a 14-5 run that prompted an early timeout by Cavs coach J.B. Bickerstaff. Four Boston players scored points during that opening flurry, with Al Horford and White both sinking 3s.

Cleveland quickly rallied, however, to tie the game at 19-19, then took its first lead of the game when was called for a foul while blocking a LeVert dunk.

The partisan Garden crowd didn’t like the call, but LeVert hit both free throws as part of a 9-0 Cavs run. Cleveland led 30-24 at the end of the first — the first time Boston had been outscored in any quarter since Game 4 against Miami.

The Celtics then responded with an immediate 9-0 run of their own, exploiting a small-ball Cavs lineup to score at the rim on three consecutive possessions.

After being outscored 22-6 in the paint in the opening 12 minutes, five of Boston’s first eight makes of the second quarter were layups or dunks — two by Jrue Holiday and three by Payton Pritchard.

The Celtics also got two second-quarter 3s from Horford and one from Tatum, then went cold, making just one field goal over the final 4:53 of the first half. Boston entered halftime tied 54-54 after a sloppy Brown turnover and foul gifted Cleveland foul shots in the final seconds.

The Cavaliers then controlled the pace of play during a lopsided third quarter, led by their talented backcourt duo of Mitchell and Darius Garland.

Mitchell shook off his sleepy, six-point opening half to score 16 in the third, including a buzzer-beating 3-pointer. Garland added nine points in the frame as Cleveland’s lead swelled to double digits.

“He made some tough shots tonight,” Brown said. “Some tough contested threes. We’ve got to be up. He’s a basketball player, and we’ve got to have a little more alertness to him. Tonight, he got the best of us.”

Mobley picked up his fourth foul with five minutes remaining in the third, forcing him to the bench. But the Celtics couldn’t capitalize against his replacement, past-his-prime veteran Tristan Thompson. Cleveland took a 90-78 lead into the fourth quarter and never looked back.

Mazzulla emptied his bench with five minutes remaining, giving rookie guard Jordan Walsh the first postseason action of his young career.

The Celtics rebounded from their ugly Game 2 loss to the Heat by reeling off three straight routs to win that series in five. Mazzulla will be hoping Thursday’s clunker spurs a similar turnaround.

“You treat it the same way you would a win,” the coach said. “You come in tomorrow, you watch film, and you get better for Game 3.”